Better Business  

When psychotherapy meets advice

Saiman says: "It is typical in this industry for the client to be the 'wealth creator', when actually we believe that wealth typically is created within an ecosystem, and that ecosystem is usually, but not always, a family."

The idea of interconnectedness, including the connections Six Degrees forms with its professional partners which it likes to invite to the advice process, is already reflected in the firm's name.

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Six Degrees - think six degrees of separation, or the idea that all people are six or fewer social connections away from each other.

"We realised that businesses are created through the power of personal connection, and this mirrors the entrepreneurial journeys of our clients," says Saiman.

Counselling meets advice

To some Six Degrees' approach may seem closer to counselling than financial advice, and in some respects it is.

Saiman says the pair have always looked to other industries for inspiration, including the world of psychotherapy and counselling. 

His mother, in fact, is a practising psychodynamic counsellor and he says he has developed a great interest in psychoanalytic psychotherapy himself.

"It is an interest of mine from an academic, but also practical perspective. I've seen how helpful it can be in someone's life," he says.

His mind is already set on training as a psychotherapist in the future and he says he can see himself integrating this further into his financial advice practice.

"The two skills are very, very complementary to each other....principally because wealth doesn't mean what you think it does, for most people."

Waller on the other hand has studied finance and philosophy, which she says, has enabled her to recognise how the functions of each side of her brain played into her wealth conversations. 

"Finance is a very definite answer. Philosophy is very much debate and discussion.

"And then when I came into this industry, I recognised very quickly that that philosophical, that discussion, that depth of questioning wasn't as prevalent in conversations," she says.

As time went by she ended up supporting other relationship managers at RBC on how to create successful client relationships, and how to challenge clients when needed.

She adds: "My family is neurodiverse. And so what comes from that is you learn different ways different people hear, see, feel, and are aware of things.

"Ollie and I, we recognise the importance of diversity, we recognise the beauty that comes from people and environments that are different. And in some respects, we are able to bring our differences...to the relationships that we have with others. And we're both incredibly aware of that."